


A Shadow Falling Over Our Faces

by Sokkas_First_Fangirl



Series: I Lay My Life Before You [16]
Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)
Genre: Alpha Jim, Alpha Roger Taylor (Queen), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Brother-Sister Relationships, Family Secrets, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Mental Health Issues, Moving On, Nightmares, Omega Freddie Mercury, Omega Verse, Past Rape/Non-con, Platonic Cuddling, Protectiveness, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Hatred, Worry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-12
Updated: 2019-10-12
Packaged: 2020-12-13 20:43:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21003887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sokkas_First_Fangirl/pseuds/Sokkas_First_Fangirl
Summary: Fourteen years after the events of Ridge Farm, Paul Prenter is about to be released from prison. No one's happy about it, least of all Theo Mercury.(A short sequel of sorts to Pushing Through The Darkness, in which we examine Theo's feelings)





	A Shadow Falling Over Our Faces

**Author's Note:**

> I promised I'd fit more Theo content in, or die trying. Here we are at last! I think there were a few requests to see how Theo would handle Prenter's release from prison? Hope you all enjoy 💕

**October 2nd, Garden Lodge, London England, 1989** **  
** ** _“My past has tasted bitter for years now, so I wield an iron fist. Grace is just weakness, or so I've been told, I've been cold, I've been merciless. But the blood on my hands scares me to death, maybe I'm waking up today.” -I’ll Be Good, _ ** **Jaymes Young**

Well, they all knew it had to happen eventually. At least Prenter had to serve his full sentence, it wasn’t like they let him out early. But he’d be out this month, and you could cut the tension with a knife.

_ No, _ Theo thought.  _ More than that. You’d need a chainsaw.  _

It was a quiet sort of chaos. No one was rushing around and shouting, no one was exactly being  _ dramatic,  _ or even all that obvious. It was the little things. Joe double-checked the gates were locked every night. Jim checked all the doors and windows. Freddie left the lights on much longer than usual, constantly wanting to know where everyone was, and when they’d be back- particularly Theo.

The  _ Queen  _ boys came over more often than usual, Roger in particular. Baa and Bapuji rang every day, Auntie Kash came over whenever she had a spare moment. Uncle Phoebe looked around warily at every unexplained noise; at Uncle Joe’s suggestion, Freddie and Jim agreed to get more security cameras installed around Garden Lodge.

Theo watched, Maeve squirming in his arms, as the men they’d hired installed an extra camera at the side gate, two more at the front gate, one at the front door, one at the back door, even two more on top of the walls. They’d gotten new barbed wire for the walls too.

Freddie was a celebrity, so it wasn’t like anyone was  _ suspicious  _ about the need for security. The only question came from one of the handymen, who asked, cheerfully enough, “The fans giving you grief again, Mr Mercury?”

Freddie, ever the showman, spun some tale about a fan trying to scale the walls last week. The handymen made some sympathetic noises, shaking their heads. “And with two kiddies in the house,” one huffed, seemingly to himself. “It’s disgraceful.”

No one knew the real reason. Theo was happy to keep it that way.

Paul Prenter was being released from prison at the end of the month, and he felt sick. Would Prenter be stupid enough to try and track Freddie down? That was what everyone was afraid of. Theo had overheard Uncle Deacy and Freddie talking: it wasn’t just assault they were afraid of, there was a risk Prenter could try and kill Freddie for revenge. He’d never heard Uncle Deacy sound so close to crying before.

There was a chance he’d hurt Theo or Maeve, maybe both of them. Theo knew that, he wasn’t an idiot. Hell, Prenter might want revenge on the whole  _ band,  _ and Theo had heard the stories; Prenter had  _ despised  _ Uncle Roger with a passion. The feeling was mutual, but if Prenter was going to hurt anyone else, Roger was an obvious target.

He sounded like a complete nutcase to Theo, a sick, depraved  _ monster.  _ Because surely you had to be completely off the deep-end to assume your victim  _ wanted  _ you to assault them? Then again, Prenter hadn’t really seen it as assault, and didn’t that just drive the point home? 

Theo was scared, he could admit that, though he’d never say that to Freddie’s face. He wanted his papa to look at him and see someone  _ brave,  _ he wanted to seem like he could handle this, like he knew just what to do.

But the truth was, he didn’t. 

All he could do was hold onto his little sister, and tell himself that if Prenter came, he’d be ready. Because Theo was big for his age, he was strong, he  _ knew  _ how to fight. He  _ always  _ won his fights.

He watched as Freddie’s smile vanished, when he thought no one was looking. He watched him edge closer and closer to Jim, until Jim wrapped his arms around him, holding him close. He watched as Jim looked around warily, like he expected Prenter to jump out of the shadows. He watched as Uncle Joe went to the gym more and more, training himself to fight Prenter off; he watched Uncle Phoebe rush around, triple-checking security every hour, as if the cameras were about to break.

Fuck this. That bastard didn’t get to mess with Theo’s family like this. Theo wouldn’t let him hurt Maeve, he  _ definitely  _ wouldn’t let him hurt Freddie.

If Prenter came, Theo  _ would _ be ready.

  
  
  
  
  
  


** _“And it finds me, the fight inside is coursing through my veins, and it's raging. The fight inside is hurting me again, and it finds me, the war within me pulls me under. And without you the fight inside is breaking me again.” -Fight Inside, _ ** **Red**

Miami assigned Freddie an extra bodyguard. Theo sat on the stairs, biting his thumbnail as he strained his ears to listen in. Robert sat next to him, squeezing his hand.

“Miami, darling, I already  _ have  _ a bodyguard,” Freddie protested. The living room door was ajar, but it was still a struggle to hear them clearly, they were keeping their voices down.

“I know,” Miami said patiently. “But we can’t be too careful. Just until we know he won’t hurt you, Freddie.”

“Miami-”

“Rumour is his sister is arranging for him to go back to Belfast,” Miami cut across. “Until we know for sure, I want to make sure you’re safe.”

“You sound as bad as Roger and Jim.” It was a joke, but a weak one.

“How’s he know what Prenter’s planning?” Robert asked quietly. Sure enough, Freddie asked the same question.

“I have contacts,” Miami said. “Prenter told the parole board himself; one of my friends is a guard in his prison, and he came to me.”

“Oh…” Freddie was quiet for a while. So was Miami. Theo got the impression he was waiting for Freddie to speak first. Sure enough, his papa sighed and said, “Fine. Alright then. But we need to keep this quiet, Miami darling, I won’t have the press finding out about this, we’ve worked too hard to have them find out now.”

“They won’t,” Miami said. “That story you told the handymen might do the trick; they’ll surely notice an increase in security, and we can tell them the same thing. Say a fan’s been harassing you and your family, that they’ve been following you and tried to break in.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” Freddie snorted.

“I’ve heard enough,” Theo muttered. He pulled away from Robert and went upstairs, hands shoved in his pockets. Robert scrambled after him, and they went to Theo’s room.

“How’re you holding up?” Robert asked. Theo shrugged, turning his computer on.

“I’m not sure,” he admitted. “I...I’m scared, but I’m pissed too.”

“At Prenter?”

“And at the prison for letting him out.”

“He’s served his full sentence,” Robert said gently. “They won’t keep him any longer unless he like...attacks another inmate or something.”

“Half wish he would,” Theo said, scowling. Robert pulled a spare chair over to the computer, and Theo turned on his  _ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles  _ game. If he couldn’t hit someone in real life, he may as well beat up some fictional bad guys.

“...Do you really think he’ll show up?” Robert asked. “Or do you think he’ll go straight to Belfast?” He was tense as a spring.

“I don’t know,” Theo was forced to admit. “I hope he just fucks off.”

Robert gave a small smile. “Uncle Freddie would kill you if he heard you swearing.”

“Like he’s any better.”

  
  
  
  
  
  


** _“Why are we so incomplete? All I own is just dust, just dust and gold; when all I see are kings and thieves. When all I own is just dust and gold. So rescue me, rescue me, so rescue me.” -Dust And Gold, _ ** **Arrows To Athens**

As much as Theo marched around, head held high, he was frightened. He was pretty sure he wasn’t  _ really  _ fooling anyone, but he could try his best. The same went for Freddie; he smiled and laughed like usual, but his eyes stayed dim. He flinched when anyone moved towards him too fast. It was cold out, so Theo might be inclined to brush off how many layers Freddie wore, but he’d seen this too many times; he knew it was another defence method.

If it wasn’t for the fact that Theo couldn’t sleep, he wouldn’t have heard it. He usually slept like the dead, but he hadn’t been sleeping properly in the last few days. 

So he was wide awake when he heard Freddie scream.

Instantly, Theo was climbing out of bed, leaping up so fast he ended up tangled in his sheets and falling onto the floor.

“Papa!” he called. His mind jumped to the worst case scenario-  _ Prenter was here, he’d broken in, he’d slit Jim’s throat and was trying to rape Freddie again, he was going to take Freddie away and kill him- _

But no. Freddie was awake, shaking and gasping for breath in Jim’s arms. No blood. No injuries.

_ Nightmare,  _ Theo realised.

A little hand tugged on his pyjama sleeve, and there was Maeve, looking at the scene before them with big, confused eyes, clutching her toy bunny to her chest. She turned and looked at Theo, as if expecting him to make it all better.

He picked her up, clasping her against his chest.

“Papa? Dad?”

Jim shook his head at him, but Freddie, still crying, held an arm out to them both. Theo didn’t hesitate to go over, depositing Maeve in Freddie’s arms. His little sister clung to Freddie like a monkey, pressing her face against his bond mark. Theo sat next to him, knees pulled up against his chest. After a moment, he leaned against Freddie as well, only relaxing when Jim’s arms wrapped around them all.

“Papa okay?” Maeve asked. Freddie offered her an admittedly valiant smile; he kissed her forehead and tucked her hair behind her ears.

“Just a bad dream, darling,” he said. “That’s all.”

Theo could take a guess as to what that  _ bad dream  _ was about. His stomach lurched, he felt  _ sick.  _ For a moment, the usual fear overwhelmed him; maybe he should leave, he was only an awful reminder, he shouldn’t  _ be  _ here, Freddie wouldn’t  _ want  _ him- but Jim’s grip tightened, as if he knew what Theo was thinking. Freddie pulled Theo in even closer, and ran his hand through Theo’s hair again and again.

He was fourteen. He was surely too old to fall asleep in his parents’ bed. He wasn’t a little kid anymore. But he fell asleep all the same, drifting off to Freddie’s hand in his hair, to Jim quietly murmuring to Maeve that it was all okay now.

  
  
  
  
  
  


Okay, so he ended up in Freddie and Jim’s room a lot in the coming weeks. All sense of embarrassment fled, though if his classmates found out he’d surely have to crack some heads to shut them up.

He was as twitchy as Freddie. He was utterly forbidden from getting the bus home alone from school now; usually if Jim, Joe, or Phoebe were too busy he’d simply get the bus. Not now. Now he went home with Robert on his bus, or was driven by Auntie Veronica. Sometimes Auntie Mary met him at school and took him home. Either way, he was never alone.

On one hand, it seemed totally daft. Prenter wasn’t  _ out  _ yet. On the other hand, Theo got it.

He wasn’t sure he wanted to be alone anyway.

He already felt like he was being watched.

  
  
  
  
  
  


** _“And all the people say ‘You can't wake up, this is not a dream. You're part of a machine, you are not a human being.’ With your face all made up, living on a screen, low on self esteem, so you run on gasoline. Ooh, I think there's a flaw in my code. Ooh, these voices won't leave me alone. Well my heart is gold, and my hands are cold.” -Gasoline, _ ** **Halsey**

Prenter’s release date was Halloween.

_ How fucking fitting,  _ Theo thought. Usually, on Halloween, he’d go to a friend’s house and have a party. Now, he wasn’t exactly in the partying mood. He doubted he’d be allowed out anyway. And honestly, he wanted to stay home, he needed to keep an eye on Freddie at all times.

“What’s  _ with  _ you two?” a classmate, Henry, asked him and Robert. “You’re both so- so  _ twitchy  _ lately.”

Another classmate, Annette, elbowed him hard.  _ “Idiot,”  _ she hissed. “Someone’s been stalking Theo’s dad. They tried to break in, don’t you  _ read? _ ”

“Your girly magazines?” Henry scoffed. “No.” He twisted in his seat again, to look at Theo and Robert. “Is that true?”

“Yup,” Theo said; his fists were clenched, he was grinding his teeth before he could stop himself. “Had to increase security.”

“Oh…” Henry paled. “Er, sorry man…”

Theo shrugged, glaring at his desk. A stalker. Well, it wasn’t exactly a lie, was it? 

It wasn’t hard to find their address. Fans left flowers and other presents at their gates all the time. If Prenter wanted to find them, he could. He wondered if they should stay somewhere else on Halloween. Maybe visit Jim’s family. Just so long as Prenter couldn’t  _ find  _ them.

  
  
  
  
  
  


The thing was, Theo still...Well, he was still struggling to come to terms with it. He wondered if he ever would.

Because Prenter was his birth father, and he said that in the loosest meaning of the term. Most of the time, he liked to think Prenter had nothing to do with him. His therapist, Hannah, in one of their first sessions, had said  _ “Do you consider him your father?” _

_ “Huh?” Theo, twelve and spiralling, had stared at her in confusion. _

_ “Paul Prenter,” she said gently. “Do you consider him your father?” _

_ “No,” Theo said vehemently.  _

_ “Then why do you consider yourself his son?” _

_ That threw him for a loop. He floundered, trying to find the words to explain that he was  _ bad,  _ that he shouldn’t have been born, that this was his fault.  _

_ “I...I mean…” He glared at the floor, feeling suddenly, stupidly near tears. “I shouldn’t have been born.” _

_ “Your papa doesn’t see it that way.” _

_ He glanced at her warily; she was smiling softly. _

_ “But  _ why? _ ” he asked. “He should hate me!” _

_ “Because he loves you,” Hannah said, as if it was that simple. Maybe it was, he wasn’t sure anymore.  _

Jim was his dad, that was the way he saw it. He’d helped raise him, he’d been there for years. If you looked at his birth certificate, Roger was listed as his dad; he and Freddie had taken no chances, hiding the truth as best they could, even lying to the doctors and midwives. Theo didn’t blame them in the least. It was safer that way.

A lot of people believed Roger was his dad; they believed Theo had been conceived just before his and Freddie’s so-called break-up. But the press liked to cause trouble: as soon as it got out that Prenter was on trial for raping an Omega, they pointed fingers at Freddie. They’d shut up after a while, but a lot of people had, unknowingly, guessed the truth. Theo was just glad they didn’t have proof. 

That was another thing to worry about. Would Prenter assume Theo was his? Would he make trouble? It wasn’t like he could demand a DNA test, he had no right to.

He didn’t, right?

  
  
  
  
  
  


**October 31st, 1989** **  
** ** _“I'll fight, (fight), fight, (fight), fight or be taken out alive. (Fight) Fight. (Fight) Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Standing on the edge, am I better off dead? How could I forget that I'm better than this? I've come too far to fade tonight. Fight, or be taken out alive.” -Fight, _ ** **Icon For Hire**

In the end, they all went to Roger’s house, at Roger’s insistence. They even brought the cats; at the last second, Freddie had panicked that if they left them behind, they’d be hurt.

Honestly, Theo wouldn’t put it past Prenter to hurt the cats, if he couldn’t get hold of anyone else.

Debbie bustled around, offering everyone snacks and drinks; Maeve happily nibbled away at the chocolate provided, sitting on Freddie’s lap. Roger eyed the front door warily. His own bodyguard, as well as one of the guys assigned to Freddie, were stationed in the garden; the new guy was keeping a watch on Garden Lodge.

If Theo wasn’t so worried he’d have laughed at the absurdity of it all. An obsessed fan would be less trouble, he was sure of it. They’d handled a few crazy fans before, though it usually didn’t go any further than creepy letters. The one time someone broke into their old flat, Theo had been out with Roger, so he hadn’t actually  _ seen  _ it, but it had happened only a few days before they moved into Garden Lodge. Freddie had handled it superbly, managing to disarm the guy and call the police.

It wasn’t so straightforward now. 

Maybe it was stupid for them all to be together. Prenter would gladly hurt  _ any  _ of them, and here they all were together. It felt almost like a spy movie; maybe they should all split up? But this wasn’t a movie, this was Theo’s life, and he was frozen on the sofa, pressed against Freddie’s side.

He honestly felt kind of bad for Debbie, getting dragged into this. Dominique, Brian, and Deacy called to check in. Mary rang a few times; she kept sneaking down to Garden Lodge and having a look around herself. So far, no sign of Prenter at Garden Lodge. 

Maybe they were being paranoid? Maybe Prenter would just leave the country, go straight to Belfast? 

But he’d been reckless enough, desperate enough, to attack Freddie in a full house; he’d taken the risk and gotten his way. Who was to say he wouldn’t take another risk?

He wanted to get up and patrol the garden with the bodyguards as well, but he just stayed frozen. He hated to admit it, but he was afraid to go out there. Suppose Prenter actually showed up? What then?

Theo wanted to think he’d fight him off, that he’d protect his family...But if he was realistic, he was just fourteen and Prenter was a grown man. 

“You got the restraining order, right?” he heard Jim whisper, and that snapped him out of his daze.

“What restraining order?” Theo asked, more sharply than he meant to.

“Hm?” Freddie was staring into space, still holding Maeve on his lap; she was starting to doze off. “I filed a restraining order against Paul, darling. If he shows up at Garden Lodge he’ll be arrested; if he comes within three hundred feet of us, he’ll be arrested again.”

The relief hit him so hard he nearly fell off the sofa. Instead he clung to Freddie, his nails digging into his papa’s arms.

“Fuck,” he breathed, ignoring Jim’s  _ “Language!” _

“Why didn’t you  _ say  _ so?” he demanded.

“I didn’t get the confirmation until today,” Freddie said, still looking like he was only half-aware of where he was. 

“If he comes near you, prison will be the least of his worries,” Roger snarled.

Theo closed his eyes, pressing his face against Freddie’s shoulder. A restraining order. Three little words that instantly let him breathe again. Prenter wouldn’t risk incarceration again, would he? God, he hoped not. Surely this meant he’d just go home, right? 

He’d better. Because with the relief, came his old promise to himself: if he ever saw Prenter, Theo would kill him.

_ You won’t hurt us again,  _ he thought fiercely.  _ Never again. _ __   
  


  
  
  
  
  


**November 1st, 1989** ** _  
_ ** ** _“Light the fuse and burn it up, take the path that leads to nowhere. All is lost again, but I'm not giving in. I will not bow, I will not break, I will shut the world away. I will not fall, I will not fade; I will take your breath away.” -I Will Not Bow, _ ** **Breaking Benjamin**

They got the call in the early hours of the morning; the only person to show up at Garden Lodge last night had been a woman in a dark car. She’d stared at the house for a minute, but when she spotted the tall, and clearly angry, bodyguard storming towards her, she’d fled.

Other than that, nothing.

And if Theo was to give the press anything, he’d give them this; it was in the papers the next day that Prenter was seen at the airport with a woman, reported to be his sister. As far as anyone could tell, he’d left England as promised.

The bodyguard who’d watched their house frowned at the photo.

“She’s the one who was at the house,” he said gruffly. Freddie scowled, crumpling the paper up.

“I could take her,” he said flatly.

“Freddie,” Jim said tiredly. Freddie threw the paper in the fire. Roger laughed.

Theo stood silently by the fireplace, watching it burn.

Well then. Prenter was gone. If he had any sense he wouldn’t come back. Theo wasn’t going to bet Prenter had much sense though. If he had any sense, he’d never have hurt Freddie at all.

He was exhausted. All he wanted to do was sleep, sleep for the rest of the day, the rest of the  _ week.  _

He looked at Freddie, who finally had light in his eyes again, who was wrapped in Jim’s arms, finally looking relaxed. He finally looked like himself again.

“Okay, little man?” Roger asked, nudging him.

“I’m hardly  _ little  _ anymore,” Theo pointed out, laughing despite himself. All the same, when Roger wrapped an arm around him, he leaned against him gratefully. “I...I think so. I’m bloody knackered though.”

“Same here,” Roger said. 

“Do you think he’ll stay away?” Theo asked.

Roger was quiet. He looked unusually serious, but Theo appreciated that he actually seemed to be  _ thinking  _ about it, instead of just saying what Theo wanted to hear.

After a moment, Roger nodded.

“Yeah,” he said. “I don’t think he’ll risk prison again. And he got one hell of a beating at Ridge Farm, I doubt he wants a repeat. The thing is, he’s not stupid, Theo. I know you think he is, but he isn’t. For once, he got punished; for once, he wasn’t in charge. He’ll do anything to stay on top of things, and that doesn’t involve coming for your dad again.”

“You think so?” Theo asked. He wondered if he dared to believe it. If he dared to get his hopes up.

“I think so,” Roger said firmly. “I’m sure of it.”

Theo looked at him, at just how serious he was; he thought of just how protective Roger was, and he believed him.

“Theo, baby,” Freddie called. He held his arms out, and Theo went running straight into them, all but tackling Freddie into a hug.

“It’s okay,” Freddie said softly. “He’s gone.”

“Yeah,” Theo said. With any luck it would  _ stay  _ that way. “He’s gone...Papa?”

“Yes, darling?”

“I’m tired.”

Freddie let out a huff of laughter, kissing the top of Theo’s head; he had to lean up to do so, because Theo was actually  _ taller  _ than him now, which still felt bizarre.

“Me too,” Freddie said. “We can go home now, okay?”

“Okay.”

He could hardly be blamed for falling asleep on the car ride home; Maeve was asleep in her car seat next to him, still clutching her toy bunny. Before Theo nodded off, he peered into the front seats: sure enough, Freddie was slumped sideways, fast asleep as well.

They’d surely  _ earned  _ a good long nap after all this. After an entire month of worry and stress.

Theo had no intention of leaving his bed for the rest of the day, but after that, after everything was settled, he’d finally be allowed out again without looking warily over his shoulder. He could hang out with his friends, without worrying about that monster grabbing him.

Prenter was gone. He wouldn’t come back into their lives. Theo so desperately  _ hoped  _ he wouldn’t come back into their lives. Let him stay in Belfast, let him stay far away from London, and Theo’s family.

He hadn’t really worried about Prenter when he was in jail; now that he was out of the country, Theo was determined to put the man out of his mind entirely.

Prenter had nothing to do with him. Never had been, never would be. Theo was more than happy to keep it that way; let the bastard stay far away from him, let him stay in Belfast and die there for all Theo cared.

There was still a lot to worry about; Theo still had a lot to work through. He knew that. But for now, with his sister beside him, and his parents in front of him, Theo curled up and went to sleep.

  
  
  
  
  
  
** _“The walls start breathing, my mind's unweaving, maybe it's best you leave me alone. A weight is lifted on this evening, I give the final blow. When darkness turns to light, it ends tonight, it ends tonight.” -It Ends Tonight, _ ** **All American Rejects**

**Author's Note:**

> One thing writing this showed me, was just how emo Theo's playlist is. Every song used here is from his playlist, and I'm not even a little mad about it, my boy is angsty as all hell. Emo gremlin child, I love him ❤  
(And you know what's weird? Theo's eldest is born only five years after this.)


End file.
